If you are a human being [i am] who believes in evolution... [i'm not, but I will limit my comment to areas where I would agree with those who do] Repetition, physical ability and love for the game are not only passed onto the next generation by word of mouth, but also by the ability to reproduce and implant their genetic mark, a mark that contains the imprint of baseball. Acquired characteristics such as baseball skills are not passed along genetically. (However, apparently Lamarckism is making a bit of a comeback, although for now it's tentative/questionable (at best) and limited to starvation situations and certain experiments with single-cell life forms.) I would say that the US has better players than Australia because there are more people who play and there are far more opportunities to play against high-level competition. The coaching is better, or, rather, better coaching is available if you look for it. My son is a much better athlete than I ever was, but I was a better baseball player. When he was nine we moved to Belgium and then to Germany, so he didn't see decent competion until he was a junior in high school. There is no substitute for repetions and good competition.